Process for the production of sulfureted hydrogen.



WILLIAM AUGUSTUS HALL, OF-NEW YORK, N. Y. I

PROCESS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF SULFURETED HYDROGEN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

No Drawing.

Patented Dec.'30, 1913.

Application filed October 10, 1912. Serial N 0. 725,026.

To' all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM AUGUSTUS IIALL, a citizen ofv the United States Republic, and resident of New York, N. Y., haveinvented a certain new and useful Improvement in Processes for the Production of'Sulfureted Hydrogen, of which the following is a specification.

'. tended to furnish hydrogen. The combined and simultaneous actionof the water vapor and of the reducing flame. produces a much more active decomposition of the pyritesthan that obtained by the flame alone. If no steam were present, the liberation of the sulfur would be slow and incomplete, whereas in presence of the steam, with which the sulfur of the pyrites' can react, there is ob tained a very active evolution of gas and a thorough decomposition of the pyrites. As the afiinity of nascent hydrogen for sulfur at high temperature with'the formation of I-LSis very great, the sulfur iseasily and completely removed from the iron of the pyrites in a somewhat similar manner to-its removal by oxidation with formation of SO when pyrites is burned in atmospheric oxyen.

In carrying this process, into effect I proceed preferably as follows :I heat the pyrites with a reducing flame obtained preferably from producer gas or so-called gas pacmre and admit steam or water vapor at the same time as this gas, the pyrites beingv agitated throughout the operation. The two atoms of sulfur of the py'rites then combine with the hydrogen to furnish the sulfureted hydrogen. This result is to be attributed to the fact that the iron of the pyrites abandons practically all of its sulfur content in a reducing flame if it be furnished with .a stable equivalent which will replace the sulfur and with which it can combine,

, The process may easily be carried out in a continuous manner in a mec'hanical roasting furnace constructed as described in the specification of my co-pending application Serial No. 725,023 filed concurrently herewith.

It will be noted that a large amount of steam being admitted will produce a considerable depression of the temperature,-in the reaction zone, which should be maintained by the combined action of the steam and reducing flame at a temperature-somewhat below 700 0., and at this temperature no material amountof sulfur (elemental) is distilled from the pyrites or ore under treatment.

It is to be noted that with the furnace described in my application above referred to, very different conditions can be maintained than with a furnace of the blast or smelter type, since in my furnace, I maintain a layer of theore,'which is constantly being agitated, and the reducing flame plays'up'on the surface of the ore, there being no obstructions, and any desired amounts of air, gas and steam can be blown in, and fine ore can be used, and is even preferable to lump ore. vIn using a furnace of the smelter or blast furnace type, there is no agitation of the ore in the reaction zone, and the passage of the gaseous products of the reaction is always more or less restricted by the body of ore, (which practically excludes the use of fines) and the amount of air, gas and steam which can be introduced is determined by the amount of gases which can pass upwardly and out through the body of ore in the furnace. p

The step of agitating'the ore' exercises two important functions in that it not only constantly exposes fresh surfaces to the action of the reducing flame, but it constantly intermingles the hot portions of the ore with the cooler portions thereof, and accordingly prevents local rises of temperature in those parts of the ore which are exposed to the direct action of the flame.

-I make no claim to the carrying out of this process without a reducing flame, or in any except a reverberatory furnace, for the reasons thatmy process cannot be carried out without these two features being included.

The sulfureted hydrogen obtained by this process can be utilized for instance for the production of sulfur in accordance with the known formula 2H S+SO,=3S+2H,O The inventor is aware that it has been processes based on this suggestion have met with no success because it was necessary to I operate at a temperature higher than that to which steam could be economically superin the presence of insufficient oxygen, its sulfur content in hot vaporous condition, will combine easily with the hydrogen.

In carrying out the process of my present application, I admit a considerable amount of steam so that practically all the sulfur is driven out in the form of H 8 which ;means that practically no sulfur is vaporized from the ore. Accordingly the temperature is maintained at a point somewhat below' the point at which sulfur distils from the pyrites, namely about 700 C. or over. The introduction of the steam in large amounts prevents the temperature from rising to a point above 700 C. By the use of less steam the temperature rises above 700 C. and a part of the sulfur will be distilled from the pyrites in the form of free sulfur, this process being described and claimed in my copending application, Serial No. 725,024, filed concurrently herewith.

steam being introduced in amount sufficient to maintain the ore at a temperature below' that at which any material amount of free sulfur is vaporized.

2. A process of producing H S from sulfid ore, which comprises agitating a layer of said ore, and subjecting the same to the action of a reducing flame blown directly upon the surface thereof, and to the simultaneous action of steam in large amount.

3. A process of producing H 8 from pyrites, which comprises agitating sald pyrites, and subjecting the same to the combined action of a reducing flame and steam, the steam being introduced in amount sufficient to maintain the pyrites at a temperature below that at which any material amount of free sulfur is vaporized.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. p

WILLIAM AUGUSTUS HALL.

Witnesses:

HAROLD K. FAIBWEATHER, ALFRED T. BURBERY. 

